Inclusive Practices in Institutions of Higher Education

Abstract

In this chapter, the author will highlight some of the hurdles students with disabilities (SWDs) face in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and share some recommendations on how best faculty and staff can support SWDs matriculating through their programs and graduate on time with a baccalaureate degree. The author addresses concepts such as resilience, deficit models, instructional roles (instructor versus facilitator), myths, and misconceptions of working with SWDs, social justice, advocacy, public policy reform, and inclusive models for IHEs. In this chapter, the author approaches these concepts by illustrating the social justice notions related to identity and access to IHE as experienced by SWDs. The author considers whether institutions perceive some programs as unsuitable for some SWDs or whether SWDs perceive some courses as inaccessible, hence not worth pursuing.